Rolling mill



Dec. 15, 1931. s. F. WILLIAMS ROLLING MILL Filed Sept. 12. 1929 livilllJ INVENIOR STEPHENEWILLIAMS BY W/ G ATTORNEY$ Patented Dec. 15, 1931 I STEPHEN F. WILLIAMS,.OF MONTREAL, QUEIBEQ'CANADA ROLLING MILL Application filed September 12, 1929. Serial No. 392,131. I

My invention relates to metal rolling and has for its object the rolling of sheets, plates and similar products direct from molten metal. j

The customary practice in metal rolling is to cast or otherwise convert the hot or molten metal into billet form prior to the rolling operation, with the result that the forming rolls must be subjected to heavy pressure in order to efliciently perform their intended function.

According to my invention, the hot or molten metal is delivered directly to the forming rolls while the metal is still in a plastic state and just about the time the metal has cooled sufficiently to enable the forming rolls to act effectively thereon. The molten metal is initially placed in a suitable hopper having an outlet leading to a flow channel in which the forming rolls are journalled. The. hopper is provided with a feed control, by means of which the flow of metal to the flow channel and to the forming rolls is periodically interrupted. During the interruption'of the feed, the metal is trapped in the hopper and is cooled to a predetermined degree in any suitable manner, such as by the circulation of a cooling agent around the outer wall of the hopper. The forming rolls are arranged'in the flow channel in pairs with the upper and lower rolls of each pair placed apart a predetermined distance according to the desired thickness of the product. 'When sheets or plates are being formed, the width of the product is preferably fixed by the width of the flow channel in which the forming rolls are journalled. The arrangement is such that the hot or molten metal is delivered to the forming rolls while still in a plastic state, but sufliciently cool to enable the forming rolls to properly act thereon. The plasticity of the metal at the time of delivery to the forming rolls makes it unnecessary for the latter to be subjected to heavy pressures.

tailed description and accompanying drawin s, in which,

igure 1 is a plan view of a rolling mill. constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates a hopper in which the hot or molten metal is initially placed. Water or other suitable cooling agent is circulated around the outer wall of the hopper through the medium of a water jacket 12 equipped with suitable inlet and outlet connections 13 and 14. The hopper delivers to a flow channel presenting a bottom wall 15 and side walls 16 and is situated at one endof said channel, being supported between suitable brackets 17 rising from the walls 16. The bottom channel wall 15 is made of hollow construction to provide an interior space or water jacket 18 through which water or other cooling agent may be circulated.

The hot or molten metal flows downwardly through the hopper outlet. 19 and between spaced feed rolls 20 and 21 onto the bottom 7 channel wall 15; Arranged in the channel forwardly of the hopper are a series of forming rolls 22. These rolls are arranged in .pairs with the upper and lower rolls spaced apart a distance predetermined according to so the desired thickness of the product. The lower rolls are fitted in transverse slots 23 formed in the bottom channel wall 15 and protrude but slightly above the upper surface of said wall. The metal deposited on 35 the bottom channel wall 15 in the vicinity of the hopper flows forwardly between the u per and lower rolls 22 which function to ro l the metal to the desired thickness. The width of the product as it passes between the forming rolls is, in the present instance, fixed by the distance between the side walls 16, or, I in other words, by the width of the channel. The formin rolls 22 are positively driven and to this en each roll is provided with ten minal trunnions 24 and 25 rotatably mounted in the 'side walls 16. The trunnions 25 project beyond one side of the channel and are fitted with gears 26. It will be noted that the gears 26 carried by the upper and lower U l rolls of each pen are m mesh wlth on another and that the upper gear 26 of each pair is geared to the corresponding gear of an adj acent pair through the medium of an intervening pinion 27. The feed rolls 20 and 21 between which the metal passes on its way from the hopper to the channel are also provided with suitable trunnions 21a j ournalled in the channel walls 16 and are coupled together by intermeshing gears 28 fixed to certain of said trunnions. coupled by intermeshing pinions 29 and 30 to the adj acent roll gear 26. The gearingherein shown and described is, however, only for purposes of illustration as any suitable type of gear may be employed for interconnecting the various rolls to rotate in the directions indicated by the applied arrows in Figure 2.

In order that the flow of metal from the hopper to the flow channel may be periodically interrupted. I provide a feed control consisting of a relatively small roll 31 arranged to travel in an arcuate path around the periphery of the roll 21 and adapted, in one position, to close the space between the rolls 20 and 21 so as to prevent the flow of metal therethrough. The roll 31 is provided with trunnions 32 carried by the free terminals of a U-shaped bale 33 and arranged to travel vertically in suitable arcuate slots 34 formed in the channel walls 16. The side members of the bale 33 are pivotally mounted on the trunnions of the roll 21 so that the roll 31 is movable in an arcuate path concentric to the axis of said roll 21. During the operation of the mill, the outer end of the bale 33 is adapted to be periodically raised and lowered by any suitable mechanism not shown) so as to cause an intermittent eed of metal from the ho per 12 to the flow channel and forming ro s 22. Roll 31 is cooled by a water jacket 31a.

During the period that the roll 31 is in its elevated position closing the passageway between the rolls 20 and 21, the metal trapped in the hopper 11 is subjected to the coolmg influences of the water circulating throug the water jacket 12 and is cooled to a predetermined degree. During its passage along the flow channel, a further cooling of the metal is efi'ected through the agency of the water jacket 18 so that during the rolling operation the metal is in such a condition as to be eflectively acted on by the rolls, and without requiring the rolls to be subjected to any considerable pressure.

Any suitable source of power may be employed for actuating the rolling gears. In the present instance, I have shown for illustrative purposes only a motor 35 geared to one of the pinions 27 While in the foregoing I have disclosed what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the principles involved may be Th roll 20 is also,

1. A metal rolling mill, comprising a flow channel, a plurality of forming rolls arranged therein, a hopper supported above one end of the channel and adapted to recelve molten metal, means for initially cooling the metal contained in the hopper, spaced feed rolls located directly beneath the hopper, a relatively small roll positioned between the feed rolls and utilized to control the dis charge of the metal from said hopper, means for shifting said small roll toward and away from the feed rolls in an arcuate path, a plurality of forming rolls arranged in said channel, and means for further cooling the metal received by the channel and during the rolling operation.

2. A rolling mill comprising a hopper ada ted to receive molten metal, means for initlally cooling the metal contained in the hopper, a flow channel arranged beneath the hopper, means for controlling the discharge of the metal from the hopper to said channel, spaced pairs of superimposed forming rolls journaled in said channel, the bottom of said channel having transverse slots for the reception of the lowermost roll of each of said pairs, whereby said rolls project but a slight distance above the bottom of said channel, and means for cooling the bottom of said channel, whereby the metal received by the channel is further cooled during the rolling operation.

' In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

STEPHEN F. WILLIAMS. 

